Mark DeSaulnier

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Mark DeSaulnier, born March 31, 1952) is an American politician and a Democratic member of the California Legislature representing California's 7th State Senate district since December 2008. From 2006 to 2008, DeSaulnier represented California's 11th State Assembly district. Previously, he served as a Contra Costa County supervisor (district 4, 1994–2006) and on the Concord City Council (1991–1994).

In March 2009, DeSaulnier announced his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives in the special election for the 10th congressional district after the resignation of the incumbent Ellen Tauscher. DeSaulnier received endorsements from Congresswoman Tauscher and Congressman George Miller for the seat. In the September 1 primary election, DeSaulnier came in second, after John Garamendi.

In 2014 after George Miller announced his retirement, DeSaulnier announced his candidacy for California's 11th congressional district. [1]After winning the general election, he became member-elect for the district.
[1]

Background

Mark DeSaulnier represents the 7th State Senate District which includes 70% of the 11th Congressional district. DeSaulnier has served at the local level on the Concord City Council, as Mayor of Concord and as a three term Contra Costa County Supervisor. As Supervisor, he served on the California Air Resources Board, the Association of Bay Area Governments, the Bay Area Air Quality Management District, and the Metropolitan Transportation Commission. He was elected to the State Assembly in 2006 where he served one term and received the distinction of being the first freshman in history to chair the Assembly Transportation Committee. DeSaulnier was elected to the California State Senate in 2008.

In the Senate, DeSaulnier Chairs the Transportation and Housing Committee. He has previously chaired the Labor and Industrial Relations Committee and the Subcommittee No. 3 of Budget and Fiscal Review Committee pertaining to Health and Human Service. In addition he sits on the Senate Committees on Health; Energy, Utilities & Communications; Governance & Finance; Insurance as well as the Joint Legislative Audit Committee.

In his time in office, he has taken a leadership role on a variety of key issues including government reform, labor, transportation, the environment, health care, local government, and public safety. In the Senate, DeSaulnier’s top legislative priorities include: working to reform state governance; safe and efficient roads and highways; allowing companies to organize as more community-active corporate citizens; protecting public health; reducing Californians’ exposure to tobacco; protecting homeowners from foreclosure; tightening up the parole system and oversight of sex offenders; making it easier for people to donate life-saving bone marrow and organs; and fighting abuse of prescription narcotics.

Locally, DeSaulnier has championed the Expansion of Highway 4, BART to eastern Contra Costa County, and the development of a fourth bore of the Caldecott Tunnel.

DeSaulnier was born in Lowell, Massachusetts, and earned his BA in History from the College of the Holy Cross. As a young man in Massachusetts, DeSaulnier worked as a probation officer, a truck driver, and a hotel services employee. He moved to California in the early 1970’s. DeSaulnier was a member of both the Teamsters International Union and the Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees International Union.

For most of his career, DeSaulnier has been a small business owner of several successful Bay Area restaurants. He has served the Bay Area in public office for more than 20 years.

DeSaulnier resides in Concord where he raised his two adult sons, Tristan and Tucker. [2]

Elected to Congress

While the outcome was never in doubt, supporters celebrated the victory of progressive state Senator Mark DeSaulnier to succeed longtime Congressman George Miller, who in 40 years in Congress, championed progressive positions on labor, education and environmental issues.[3]

Congressional Progressive Caucus

Anti-TPP letters

The proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal "could only lead to the offshoring of U.S. jobs, especially in the service sector, and the erosion of America wages, nine newly-elected Democrats said in a letter to the president. Overall, 13 of 17 newly-elected Democrats are opposing Fast Track".

"[W]e believe this legislation lacked sufficient guarantees to ensure Congress' voice in shaping the substance of international trade agreements negotiated by the Administration," another group of freshman Democratic legislators wrote. "Our concern is that previous versions of TPA legislation did not ensure sufficient input of our constituents' concerns about labor, environmental, and human rights protections that must be essential in the trade deals you are currently negotiating."

Funding for Colombia

March 28, 2016 Washington, D.C. Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Rep. Bradley Byrne (R-AL), and 14 of their House colleagues sent a letter to key House Appropriations Committee members asking them to fully fund President Barack Obama’s budget request for aid to Colombia.

Last month, President Obama announced a new aid package totaling $450 million for FY 2017 to assist the Colombian government in implementing a potential peace deal with the FARC guerillas after more than fifty years of violent conflict in the country. The funding would also support Colombia’s efforts to address security challenges including the threat of violent drug cartels.

“Now, just as the peace process is beginning to bear fruit, is not the time to reduce our financial assistance to our ally and partner,” the group wrote in a letter to Rep. Kay Granger (R-TX), chair of the House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs, and Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY), who serves as the subcommittee’s ranking member. “After decades of equipping Colombia to fight, we have a vested interest in helping the Colombian people to rebuild. We must continue the robust, bipartisan support which, at long last, has brought Colombia to the precipice of peace.”

On CAIR

“CAIR works hard to challenge Islamophobic rhetoric, mobilize the Muslim community and combatting the unprecedented spike in anti-Muslim hate incidents occurring nationwide. [. . .] I stand by the work done by CAIR in this regard.”